Salted Caramel Broffle Bites

So what is a broffle? Well, ya know brunch? Well this is a broffle. It's a brownie meets waffle love story. Throw some caramel on top and a little kosher salt and we have ourselves the perfect bite sized dessert. 

I can attest that these will travel well once the caramel has set. As I type they are packed in my husband's carry-on flying to Houston, right next to the gougeres. You'd think he's a lucky man, but .....they are for my sister! Luckily for him she has no idea how many broffle bites and gougeres went into that box! He promised to save her a few. We'll see how that goes! 

Salted Caramel Broffle Bites
makes 25 broffles

for the broffles

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
Scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

for the salted caramel sauce
1 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon or Fleur de Sel
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To Make the Broffles:
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof skillet, tarte tatin, or 8-inch frying pan. Stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Allow to cool slightly. Stir in the vanilla and add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour.

Preheat your waffle or mini waffle iron. (I used a mini waffle iron). 

Spray the heated waffle iron with cooking spray. 

Drop tablespoon size dollops onto the waffle iron and close. Cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Carefully removed broffles from waffle iron. 

Allow to cool while you make the salted caramel sauce.

To make the Salted Caramel Sauce

Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring to heat sugar evenly until it starts to melt. Do not stir after this point, only swirl the skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.

Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved, and the mixture is thoroughly combines. Pass mixture through a fine sieve. Transfer to a bowl and stir in salt and vanilla.

VERY carefully dip the tops of each broffle into the warm salted caramel sauce. Set aside caramel side up. 

Sprinkle with additional if desired. 

Enjoy!


Nutritional Information per 1 Salted Caramel Broffle Bite
Calories:140   Total Fat: 7.2 g  Cholesterol: 35 mg  Sodium 103 mg  Potassium: 14 mg   Total  Carbohydrates: 20.1 g  (Carbs from Sugar: 18.1 g)   Protein: 1 g 

The Brownie

House purchasing is well underway. In just two days, I've filed and scanned every document for my mortgage lender, researched and quoted out my new insurance rates, closed my utility accounts, got a new tenant for my current spot, started packing, and looking into security alarm companies. Busy, busy, busy as ever. With all this comes stress, and with stress comes stress eating, and it's just a short ride on a slippery slope to making copious amounts of brownies. Dark rich brownies that are just a few tablespoons of flour away from being pure fudge. It makes you feel much better when you're staring at a mountain of requested financial statements and cursing adrenaline induced insomnia.

Those brownies are my favorites. When you bake them, you never really feel like they're fully baked, even when they are because they are so dense. I've handed out the recipe before, and those silly caterers burned every batch trying to get it to "bake fully." I wish they would just take an internal temperature and realize those little babies are done when the internal temp is 140 F. but no, they had this definition of a brownie that included a bizarre concept of being like unto cake. Why not just eat cake? This brownie isn't cake. It isn't fudge. It is what it is and that is a brownie. A yummy gooey, cocoa brownie with stress-reducing super powers.

I'm going to head off a comment question about how to put that powdered sugar pattern on the brownies. I know you. You will ask, I will sigh, and feel weird about putting answers in the comments instead of the post. Let's just skip the middle man. That pattern is my cooling rack. Yes, these brownies were set about an half inch under my overturned cooling rack and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It's that simple. Do that right before serving as the moisture will settle into the sugar and look pasty after a while.

I keep the leftovers (when there are some) in the fridge. I allow the pan to sit out for 20 minutes before cutting and then stick the brownie in the microwave for 8 seconds. It's divine, and legitimately just as good as it is fresh out of the oven.

Happy brownie making!

"The Brownie"
adapted from Epicurious

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
Scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof skillet, tarte tatin, or 8-inch frying pan. Stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Allow to cool slightly. Stir in the vanilla and add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour.

Place the pan into the oven. If using a pan with a plastic handle, wrap the handle in aluminum foil first. Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes or until internal temperature is 140 F. Let cool completely on a rack. Cut and serve.

Enjoy!